Apparatus for forming and treating fibers



April 14, 1959 H. J. sNow ETAL 2,881,471

: APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND TREATING FIBERS Filed Dec. 28. 1954 s sheets-sheet 1 14 H "I l h.

Q? NEIE IN VEN TORS: HENRY J E'NUW. JEHEEL 01/75 YZJRK.

April 14, 1959 I H. Ji'sNow ETAL 2,881,471 APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND TREATING FIBER-S Filed Dec. 28. 1954 Y 3 Shets-Sheet 2 v IN V EN TORS: Jz zzmyj SNUW BYJES'E'E L BIZ/I2 Y RK.

.11 TTYS.

April 1959 H. J. SNOW ETAL 2,881,471

APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND TREATING FIBERS Filed Dec. 28. 1954 5 She ei IS-Sheet 3 m5 fi ma qa /5Z\ E u E 54 5 g /52 K INVENTORS/ I HENRY J. S'NQW, 45 -.i=: ByJzsssZ 172/15 WEK. 25 W ATTYS,

United States Patent 2,881,471 APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND TREATING rnsnns Henry J. Snow, Newark, Ohio, and Jesse Louis York,

Ann Arbor, Mich., assignors to Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application December 28, 1954, Serial No. 478,075

4 Claims. (Cl. 18-25) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming and treating fibers and, more especially, to a method and-apparatus for forming fibers from mineral materials such as glass and applying a binder or coating material on the fibers.

It has been a commercial practice to form fibers from glass or other heat-softenable mineral materials, such as rock or slag, by engaging streams of the material with high velocity blasts of steam or compressed air moving in the general direction of the glass streams to draw or attenuate the streams to fibers. The apparatus heretofore employed for this purpose embodies a series of spouts or chambers into which the streams of glass are directed. Spaced above the spouts are blowers for directing highpressure steam blasts downwardly into the spouts, the streams of glass being drawn out or attenuated by the blasts in the spouts and in a forming hood disposed beneath the spouts. It has been a practice to spray or deliver a binder in liquid form into the upper zone of the forming hood through the use of compressed air or steam jets'so'as to distribute the binder on the fibers by spacial collision with the fibers in flight and onto the fibers deposited upon a collecting surface at the lower zone of the forming hood.

Heretofore a substantial space has been provided between the upper ends of the spouts and the blowers from which the steam blasts are projected in order to facilitate the entry or flow of air into the spouts along the blasts, the air flow being induced by the velocity of the blasts. The flow of atmospheric air into the spouts at approximate room temperature imparts a cooling effect which accelerates solidification of the fibers attenuated by the steam blast and also reduces the operating temperature in the spout and hood constructions.

1 The admission of substantial amounts of induced air into the spouts cooled the fibers sufiiciently to enable the application of binder at the upper zone of the fiber forming hood, an operation premised on the belief that the major deposition of the binder upon the fibers occurred by spacial collision with the fibers while in flight moving toward a collecting surface. The uncontrolled flow of induced air has been found to have disadvantageous elfects upon the attenuating operation. The adverse effects of the induced air are manifested in substantial turbulence existing in the spouts which impairs the attenuation of the material, resulting in fibers that are relatively coarse.

The turbulence causes the binder-laden fibers to form clumps, resulting in nonuniformities in the mass or mat of collected fibers. The uncontrolled flow of air reduces the effective length of the fiber-attenuating zones of the blasts, and the turbulence set up by the induced air adversely affects the pattern of deposition or orientation of the fibers in the mat. The excessive turbulence in the forming hood, caused by the unrestricted and uncontrolled flow of induced air augmented by the jets of steam or air projected into the hood through the binder applicators, results in a tumbling or whirling of the fibers, preventing "ice desirable characteristic sought to be obtained in forming mats having optimum thermal properties.

The present invention embraces the provision of a method of attenuating fibers from heat-softenable material through the utilization of high velocity blasts in which the air streaminduced by the blast velocity is restricted and controlled to improve the attenuating operation and the quality of the attenuated fibers.

An object of the invention is the provision of a method of attenuating fibers by high velocity blasts and controlling or regulating the air stream induced by the velocity of the blasts whereby'turbulence in the fiber-forming zone is substantially reduced or minimized to facilitate smooth or streamline flow of the gases of the blasts and induced air streams or secondary blasts in the fiber-forming zone whereby attenuation of heat-softenable material to fibers takes place through a greaterlinear distance to produce finer fibers of increased lengths.

Another object of the invention is an improved method of applying a resin or other coating material to mineral fibers whereby the, binder or coating is applied to the fibers adjacent their zone of collection and wherein the binder or coating is distributed on the fibers without the use of a gaseous propellant or medium.

Another object is the provision of a means and method of restricting or controlling the flow of air induced by a,

high velocity fiber-attenuating blast to reduce turbulence in the fiber-forming zone.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus and method for attenuating streams of glass or other mineral material to fibers by the application of gaseous blasts to the streams of the fiber-forming material wherein the induced air flow set up or established-by the blasts is restricted and a liquid binder is distributed on the newly formed fibers in a confined zone in a manner whereby a minimum of turbulence is existent in the fiberforming zone with a consequent increase in thermal efliciency manifested by increased production of finer fibers and the fibers are collected in laminar-like orientation to form a mat of uniform thickness having high-strength characteristics and optimum thermal properties.

Another object of the invention isthe provision of a control means or apparatus for regulating the extent and character of flow of a blast-induced air stream into a fiber-forming chamber wherein a zone of minor turbulence is established adjacent the entrance of the blasts into the chamber whereby the glass streams are efiiectively enthe deposition of the fibers in laminar-like orientation, a I

gaged by the blasts to draw out or attenuate the streams to fine fibers.

Still another object of the invention resides in configurating or shaping a fiber-forming spout or chamber of fiber-forming apparatus to foster improved, streamline flow of the gases of the blasts and the fibers with a minmum of turbulence in the fiber-forming and collecting zones.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this invention such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economics of man.- ufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification and drawing of a form of the invention, which may be preferred, in which: I

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, illus: trating a form ofapparatus for carrying out the method of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical elevational view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detailed, side elevational view illustrating one form of control means for the induced air entering the fiber-forming zone; a

E ites-1,471

s'l iguze 4 is an end elevational view, partly inv section, of the construction shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an elevational view, partly in section, similfl' (c.Figu'r 3 illustrating another form of. control for regulating induced'air' entering: the; fiber forming zone;

LFigure tSTis-a. view similar: to Figure: 5 illustrating anfoimof. control for theiinduced air entering the fiber fonn-ing/zone; j a

Figure 7 ii's'aview: similar to Figure 6 showing a modifiedform ofiinduced air control: means;

I Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view illustrating a niodified'form of spout construction defining the fiberforniin'g-zone,and v Figure 9 isra perspective view illustrating the induced emurrer means shown in Figure 3.

,The method and apparatus of the invention are illusparti'cularly adapted for attenuating glass to it is to be understood that the principles of invehtion may'be embodied in other forms of apparents wherein highvelbcity hlaStS are utilized.

7 With particular reference toFigu'res 1 and 2, the glass melting a nd refining tank or furnace 10, supported upon a trainer-1; is provided with a forehearth 12 within which a head at molten glass is maintained from glass batch to molten -condit'ion in the tank or furnace 10. The lower wall'or floor of the forehearth'12 is equipped with two rows of feeders 14, each of the feeders being with a plurality of orifices through which is disehargda'plui'alityo'f sr'ri'all"v streams 15 of glass. Disadjacen't beneath each of the feeders is a blower. construction 16, illustrated in further detail in Bi'giii'es 511 4, for, directing blasts of superheated Steam or compress d air downwardly in the general direction of'tlie glass streams 15am into engagement therewithigiattenuating the glass streams to fibers of varying Verticallydispos'ed spouts orchambers 20 individual Billie blowers 16are formed with open upper ends which disposed directly beneath and spaced from the blowma ts facilitate the entrance of air into the upper ends ofth'e "spouts, the air flow into the spouts being induced by high velocity or the gases of the blasts. As anewnin detail in Figures 3 and 4, the upper ends of the spouts are formed with marginal flanges 22 curved to pmvidenarsa entrances or months for the spouts. The are flared or tapered outwardly in a downward direction as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, providing a teatime fiber-attenuating zone and accommodating the expansion of the gasesfof the blasts.

The lower ends o f-the spouts 2:0 communicate with an expansion hood'o'r' chamber 25, the end walls of which are flared outwardly and downwardly as illustrated in Figure}. hood'fl construction 25' provides an accementing chamber within which the "groups of attenuate fibers train the "several spouts 20 are'brought togenre and collected upon the upper flight 27 of an endle'iis; belt conveyor 28 in the form of a mat or mass of fibers 30 The flight 27 of the conveyor is supported by suitable rolls 32', the conveyor being of foraminous character to facilitate flow of spent gases of the blasts and; induced 'air into suction chambers 34 and 35.

'"Suction chamber 34 is connected by a suitable duct 38' with a suction blower 39, and suction chamber 35 is connected by means of a duct 40 with a second suction 'blow'er (not shown). The suction blower 39 is of greater capacity than the suction blower connected with the chamber 35m set up a lower pressure in chamber 34 than that impressed in the chamber 35. This arangeis advantageous in that fibers progressively accumulate on the flight 27 of the conveyor, as it moves in angnthana direction, to form a'c'omparatively thick mass abovethe suction chamber 34 so that higher suction is established in chamber ,34 in. order todraw the spent of the blast through the thick mass or mat of fibers.

. T poutszuare, p e erably arti nlately s pp rted a that each spout may be moved or swung to an out ofuse position when the feeder adjacent a spout requires cleaning or repair or is out of use. The arrangement for supporting the spouts. is illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 8. A spout-supporting frame includes horizontally an frame mem r a r ed tthel srsn zone of the chamber 25, forming a. rectangular configuration surounding the upper end of the chamber 25. The members 45 support upwardly extending frame members 47 which are joined at their upper ends by cross members 48, the members 47 supporting diagonally disposed bars 49. Extending between the two rows of spouts is a horizontally extending frame member. 50. shownin FiguresZand 8. I I

The lower zones of the opposite sides of each of the spouts 20 are equipped with outwardly extending bars 52 threadedto receive bolts 54,. the ends of the bolts resting upon the frame members-'45 and 50; I Each sjpout is adapted to be tilted with its upper end moved inwardly to a position at one side of the blower adjacent theretoto render the spout ineifective or out, of use. ,Whena spout is. swung to its inefiective position, a cover plate 56, shown in Figures 2, 4, 8 and 9., is automatically moved into a position to close the mouth of the spout. This is essential in order to avoid an updraft through the spout from the hood or chamber 25. 7

As particularly shown in Figure 8, each cover plate- 56 is carried on apair of arms 57 pivotallysupportedupon pins 58. carried by the spouts and extending into elongatedv openings or slots 5,9 formed inthe arms, the; pins forming: fulcrums for thear'ms 57. The swinging: movement of. arms 57 is controlled by a pair of. Iocker arrns 60. ful-- crumedona horizontal shaft 62, theroclter being formed with longitudinal'slots' 64 which'engage pins, 65 carried by the arms 57.

Each of the spouts is normally; heldin its vertical or operative position by meansof alatch or bar 70 pivotally supported or fulcru'med upon; a. .pin 72",. each arm 70. being formed with a projection 74 which engages, in, anopening in a lug 75 formed on the spout. When his desired to move a spout to anineffective position, the latch 70 is released and the spout swung inwardly, and; the pin. 65 traversing the. slot 64 functions to swing the cover plate56 over the open end or mouth of the spout thereby closing same.

The invention is inclusive of means 7. and method of controlling or regulating theamount, of. induced air. enter.- ing the spouts 20. It hasbeen found that unrestricted or uncontrolled flow of induced air into. thespouts-setsupturbulence of a character which impairs the proper attenuation of the glass tofibers and directly aifejcts thepat'te'rn of. deposition or orientation of, the fibers in a massv or matformation. 1 r One form ofinduced air Control" or: regulating means is illustrated in Figures 3 and.4. ,As shown vin these fig ures, each blower 16 is spaced fromtheadjacnt feeder 14 as illustrated. Each blower 16 is formedwitha chamber 78 which, supplies: steam T01 air, under pressure for. discharge through nozzles or. outlets 80 shown: in Figure 4. Steam or othersg as for-the blasts is conducted from a supply to the blower through .atube or duct 81. t

The steam or compressed, air blasts are vdischarged into; an elongated slot. 82 formedcentrally of the blowe'nand throughwhichthe streams 15 of glasstare delivered fronr the feeder 14. The blasts engage. the glass streams below the blower; and as the blasts move in. the generatdirection of flow of the streams,v the streams are drawnor attenuated to fibers in the fiber-forming zone provided by each of the spouts' '20 and forming h'ood 25. A stream of induced air normally flows into the spoutin the space between the lower surface of the adjacent blower andthe marginal portion 22 of the sp out; the air enteringfro'm the horizontal directions between the blower and the spout.

fof induced air into a spout. 1 of the blower 16 aremembers, abutments or plates 84.

when the spout 20 is moved to construction provides ,,The arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4 illustrates one. form of means for restricting or controlling the flow Disposed adjacent the ends The member 84 adjacent one end of the blower 16 is articulately joined to a supporting means or bracket 87 by a hinge pin or pintle 88. The bracket or plate 87 is secured to an end portion of the blower by means of screws 89. This member 84 normally depends from the bracket 87 and engages the marginal flange 22 of a spout in a manner illustrated in Figure 3.

. The second member 84 at the opposite end of the blower is pivotally supported from a supporting means or bracket 90 by means of a hinge or pivot pin 91. The plate or bracket 90 is secured to a lower face of an end zone of the blower 16 by means of screws 92. The second member 84, in the position shown in full lines in Figure 3, normally engages the marginal flange 22 of the opposite end zone of the spout 20. The members 84, in the positions shown in full lines, form bafiles, obstructions or walls preventing flow of induced air into the spout20 from the zones adjacent the ends ofthe blower 16. In this form of construction the induced air flows into the spout20 through the spaces or open zones 94 at the sides of a spout 20 and blower 16. The amount of induced air entering the spout or fiber-forming zone is substantially reduced through the control afforded by the members 84, and'the blasts and induced air moving {through the spout are confined therein and turbulence reduced in the fiber-forming zone of the spout. The end zones 96 of the members 84 are flared outwardly so that an ineffective or out-ofuseposition, the flared portions 96 are engaged by the cover plate 56, and the members 84 are swung outwardly about their pivotalsupports tothe positions shown in broken lines in Figure 3 to facilitate movement of the spout20 into registration with the cover 56. The relative positions of the members 84, spout 20 and cover 56 areillustrated in Figure 9, the spout being aligned with a feeder and blower in a position to receive the blasts and glass streams. I By reducing and regulating the amount of air flowing into the spout 20 induced by the blast velocity, turbulence in the fiber-forming zones in the spouts 20 and the upper portion of the hood 25 is substantially reduced. This v for an improved, streamline flow of the gases and induced air or secondary blasts through the spouts. This operating condition tends to increase the attenuatingrange of the primary or steam blasts and produces longer and finer fibers.

The reduction in the amount of atmospheric air entering the spouts results in fiber attenuation at higher temperatures in the spouts. While this increase in temperature is beneficial for the attenuation operation in forming longer and finer fibers, the high temperature in the upper zone of the forming hood '25 tends to set or cure binder delivered into the upper zone of the hood 25.

In the conventional practice of spraying a binder into the'upper or central portion of the forming hood, it has been found that only about of the binder adheres to the fibers entrained in the blast or in flight Within the hood, 90% of the binder being deposited upon the fibers during or after their collection upon a collecting surface. Furthermore, in the conventional method of introducing the binder into the forming hood by means of steam or air nozzles atomizing the binder and spraying the same into the chamber, the binder-conveying jets or streams of steam or air aggravate or increase turbulence in the forming hood,- tumbling the fibers and impairing a desirable orientation or deposition pattern of the fibers on the collecting surface.

In the present arrangement, the nozzles or applicators '98, shown in Figures 1 and 2, for delivering binder onto 'the fibers are disposedin the lower zone of the forming "hood 25, a slight-distance abovethe maximum depth of opposing side walls of the forming hood gr chamber 25 and are spaced lengthwise of the conveyor as illustrated in Figure 1. By positioning the applicators in the manmer shown in Figure 1, the binder is continuously delivered onto the fibers during collection or deposition of the fibers on the collecting surface. The binder, which maybe phenol formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde or other suitable resin or compositions, of resins in solution or in liquid medium, is derived from a supply under pressure. The liquid binder, being under pressure, is sprayed or introduced into the forming hood 25 from the applicators or nozzles 98 solely by the pressure on the liquid, this method avoiding the use of a gaseous medium for delivering the resin or binder in the hood. The applicators or nozzles 98 are of the atomizing type and are shaped to break up the binder solution into minute particles which are dispersed and distributed in and. throughout the fibers on the conveyor 27.

Through the reduction in the amount of induced ,air entering the fiber-forming zones and the elimination of gaseous jets or streams for introducing the binder onto the fibers, the fibers remain substantially in their pattern of attenuation in the blasts as they move through the hood 25 toward the collecting zone. The fibers entrained in the blast are in generally'parallel relation, and .when this orientation is not impaired by turbulence, the fibers are deposited out of the blast in somewhat the same orientation and tend to accumulate in laminar-like groups or layers of fibers in the collected mass, providing a mat having improved strength, acoustic and insulating characteristics or properties as compared with mats formed by a similar method utilizing uncontrolled, induced air streams. The suction impressed in the chambers 34 and 35 carries away the spent gases of'the blasts and the induced air and also aids in dispersing or distributing the binder through the fibers as they are collected in the mass or mat formation.

Figure 5 illustrates another form of means for regulating and controlling the flow of air into the spout 20 induced by the high velocity of the blast. In this form of construction, air flow control members or plates 100 of uniplanar shape are disposed lengthwise of the blower 16 and in the direction of the longest dimensions of the opening or mouth of the spout '20. Each of the members 100 is supported adjacent its ends by brackets or members 102, the members 100 being pivotally or hingedly depending from brackets 102 by means of pins 104.

The brackets 102 may be secured to the blower construction 16 by means of screws or bolts 105. The brackets are disposed adjacent the end zones of the feeder 116 to provide a space between the lower surface 107 of the blower 16 and the upper edges 108 of the control members 100, providing an open space at each side of the spout through which a restricted yet constant flow of air may enter the mouth of the spout 20. In this form of control arrangement, the members 100 may engage the marginal flanges 22 on the spout so as to restrict the flow of induced air to the spaces between v the lower surface 107 of the blower construction and the upper edges 108 of the members 100.

If it is desired to increase or augment the amount of induced air entering the spout 20, the members 100 may be swung to open position about the axes of the pins 104. Means may be provided for holding or retaining the control members 100 in various open positions. As illustrated in Figure 5, an end zone of each of the control members 100 may be formed with an ear or projection 110 provided with an opening to receive a transversely extending end portion 111 of a rod 112.

The rods extend through openings in brackets or blocks 115, one of which is shown in Figure 5, carried by the frame members 47. A screw 117 is threaded into a bore in each of the blocks 115which intersects the opening W as-name ';the screwgll'l serving to hold rod rz-jana mce the" air flow control member 1110 connected thereto in an 'adjiiste'dposition. The adjusting means forieach of the rnembers 100 is disposed beyond th'e side wall of the spout 20 so as to facilitate movement of thespout beneath the closure or cover 56 in Figure 9 when the spout is moved to an outof-use or ineffective position. a

x It will be apparent that by adjusting the relative open position or the air flow control members 100, an amount of. ir in addition to that entering the space between the surface 107 of the blower 16 and the edges 108 of the members 100 is permitted to flow into the spout. The ineinbersjtlo are'held in adjusted position by drawing up the rod-retainin g screws 117'. a Fi'gure o illustra tes another form of means for restricting or controlling the; flow of blast induced air into tfhespout 20. In th1$ 01'111', brackets 120 are secured to the side walls or surfaces of the blower 16 by means or bolts or screws122. Secured tof the brackets 120 are bars for bafile walls 124 which extend full length oft-he blower 16 in the relative positions illustrated in Figure 6, Themembersor bars 124 are secured to the bracketslzfl bymeans of screws 126 extending through vertically elongated slo ts 12 7 formed in the brackets 12Gintothreaded openings in. members 124. By manipiilating the screws 126, the bar's or control members 124 may be elevated or lowered relative to theblower 16 and the ofithe spjout '20. I The bars or members 121! in the p'osition shown in Figure 6 r'estrict the air flowinto the spoutjfl through the longitudinal spaces r openingsd and 130 existent above and below the air r lm m er $91.2

It ;is df i ahlf 0 vide for some turbulence of the induced'air iinrriediately' beneath the blower 16 at the gonef 'of engagementof the steamblas'ts from the blower 1:6 with the glass'stre'ams 15. This is essential in order that the blasts properly engage the streams and exert pulling or attenuating" forces in many downward directions, Below, this zoneof turbulence it is desirable that the gases of the blasts and the secondary blasts of induced air. moye smoothly and without appreciable turbulence in order to attain efiicient attenuation. The characterofj the air streams moving through the spaces 12 9 andlj o tosecure a desired turbulence adjacent the blewerma be varied by adjusting the relative vertical eons ofthe bars 124 to obtain optimum operating co ditions in the arrangement? shown in Figure 6.

Fi'gureTis a view similar to Figure 6, illustrating a modified. form of control for the induced air streams. In this torm the feeder- 16 supports brackets 135 which form amounting, means for. air flow control members, bars or walls ,137'. V The barsl37 are supported from the brackets IQQby me'ans of screws138, extending through elongated trots; 13,'9 i'nthe brackets l35 and into threaded openings in the abutments 1371 shown in Figure 7, the flow or air induced by the blasts from the blower 16 enters thenioutli of the spout 20 through spaces or openings 140 and I41above and below the bars and control members 137; The .cQrltrbl -mernb ers 137 provide impediments which restrict the How of air into the spout 20. The relative. dimensions of the spaces 1.40 and 141 may be regulated by moving the bars 137 in a vertical direction, this movement rbeing permitted by reason of the ver- 'tically elongated.slots139 in fthe brackets 135. It should be no ettmar thecontrol members or abutments 137 are formed witharcu'ateDrcurved, surface areas 143 of a eont our tendingto promote a degree of, turbulence beand adjacent the feeder 16 in order to provide for satisfactory"attenuating engagement of the blasts with e ia s rcamsli .s fignrej; shows an arrangement similar to Figure 2 a fiber forming chamber or spout construction of a gohlhipcd converging-diverginga shape. '01; .configuration embodying the general principles of a Venturi in operaamen tion. The spout sensationsossessingwaitertions 152 which format zone of maximum restriction at 153, the walls being divergent from 'zone 153, down wardly as shown at 154. Through this configuration of spout construction, the gases of the blasts and the siteondary blasts of induced airmove through the co n verging zone 152 and the restricted zone 153' at an in? creasing velocity, these zones tending to minimize'the formation of turbulence or eddy currents in the spout so that a more streamlined flow of the gases and the fibers being attenuated by the velocity of the gases is attained in the spout with a minimum of disturbance to the fiber orientation in the blasts, This method of con trol increases the etfective attenuating range of the blasts and restricts the air flow through the spout. I I a The air flow control members 84 illustrated in detailin Figures 3 and 4 are shown in Figure 8 in combination with the streamlined spout configuration. It is tov be understood, however, that the other forms of airflow control means illustrated herein may be emb'odiedp ih combination with the spout constructions shownyin-Fig ures 1 2 and 8. It is to be understood that the air flow control members 84 at the ends o f the blower shown in Figures 3 and 4.xnay' be used in combination orcottjunction with any of the several forms of air flow coptrol members arranged lengthwise of the blower as shown in Figures through 7 T e h d a d, m oftapp y ing the liquid binders through the applicators 98 shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be incorporated with the hood con struction 25 shown in Figure 8. v I In prior fiber-forming aparatusin. whic l 1 b la indu'ce'd air streams are uncontrolled,a positive pressure is usually existent in the spouts and forming hood which turbulence. This condition re'sults inawhirli'n'g-ac or motion of the fibers in theirflight, toward the co 7 ing surface and impairs the pattern jof, deposition of the" fibers on the collecting surface. Through the utilization of the method of control of the invention for theindu'ced air flow and the elimination of steam and air jets for in troducing binder or fiber-coating material onto the fibers in the hood, a reduced pressure is obtainedin the spouts and hood; and by substantial restriction of induced air flow, a negative or subatmospheric pressuremaybe pressed in the spouts and hood. The reduction (if-pr s sure reduces turbulence and whirling motion of the, fibers and facilitates collection of the fibers in a desired laminarlike orientation. 1 The mass or mat of collected fibers 30 is conveyed away from the hood 25 by the upper flight Z'I of the conveyor moving in a ri'ghthand direction as viewed "in Figure 1. The collected fibers may be compressed to a mat of desired thickness and the mat passed through it curing oven (not shown) in which heat is applied to set up or cure the binder. v, p a v H, It is apparent that, within the scope; of theinventn', modifications and difierent. arrangements maybe made other than is herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending .all variations thereof.

Weclaim: M 1. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, a walled fiber-forming chamber having an open end of substantially rectangular cross-section, means for flowing streams of heat-softenedmineral material. into the open end of the chamber, a blower disposed adjacent the open endof the chamberarranged to project; high velocity gaseous blasts into the chamber to engage and attenuate the streams to fibers, said blower being, spaced from the open end of thech amber toadmit air flowing duced by the blasts into the chamber, a pair of generally rectangularly shaped battles for reducing flow of, induced air into the spout, said baflles being disposed respectively adjacent Opposed rectilinear edge regions of the cha mb er walls at the openend and arranged topartially impedetlw induced air flow.

2. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, a walled fiber-forming chamber having an open end of substantially rectangular cross-section, means for flowing streams of heat-softened mineral material into the open end of the chamber, a blower disposed adjacent the open end of the chamber arranged to project high velocity gaseous blasts into the chamber to engage and attenuate the streams to fibers, said blower being spaced from the open end of the chamber to admit air flow induced by the blasts into the chamber, a pair of elongated baflle members, each of said baflle members being disposed in substantial parallelism with the rectilinear edge region of opposed walls of the chamber defining the open end thereof and adapted to partially impede the induced air flow adjacent the said opposed walls.

3. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, a walled fiber-forming chamber having an open end of substantially rectangular cross-section, means for flowing streams of heat-softened mineral material into the open end of the chamber, a blower disposed adjacent the open end of the chamber arranged to project high velocity gaseous blasts into the chamber to engage and attenuate the streams to fibers, said blower being spaced from the open end of the chamber to admit air flow induced by the blasts into the chamber, a pair of elongated bafile members, said baflle members being disposed respectively adjacent opposed wall regions of the chamber at the open end, each of said baffle members being individually adjustable for regulating the amount of induced air admitted into the chamber.

4. Apparatus of the character disclosed, in combination, an elongated walled fiber-forming chamber having an open end of substantially rectangular cross-section,

the walls of the chamber adjacent the open end being convergent inwardly to provide a region of reduced crosssectional area spaced from the open end, the walls of the chamber extending beyond the region of reduced cross-sectional area being flared outwardly, means for flowing streams of heat-softened mineral material into the open end of the chamber, a blower disposed adjacent the open end of the chamber arranged to project high velocity gaseous blasts into the chamber to engage and attentuate the streams to fibers, said blower being spaced from the open end of the chamber to admit air flow induced by the blasts into the chamber, a pair of baflies for reducing flow of induced air into the spout, said bafiles being disposed respectively adjacent opposed rectilinear edge regions of the chamber walls at the open end and arranged to partially impede the induced air flow.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,121,802 Kleist et al. June 28, 1938 2,219,346 Thomas et al. Oct. 29, 1940 2,287,007 Kleist et al. June 16, 1942 2,550,465 Gorski Apr. 24, 1951 2,600,843 Bush June 17, 1952 2,653,416 Slayter Sept. 29, 1953 2,732,885 Van Der Hoven Jan. 31, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 972,326 France Jan. 29, 1951 766,315 Germany Aug. 9, 1951 470,675 Great Britain Aug. 19, 1937 

